CONFIDENTIALL
8168
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IN MIND BUT WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT HK HAS ALREADY ACCEPTED
14,000 FOR RESETTLEMENT AND WITH ITS VERY HIGH DENSITY OF POPULA
TION CANNOT ABSORB ANY MORE (EVEN THOUGH IT WILL CONTINUE TO ACT
AS A PLACE OF FIRST ASYLUM).
6. THOMAS COULD ADD THAT WE ARE STILL CONCERNED THAT MANY
BOAT-PEOPLE CLEARLY CONSIDERED REFUGEES BY THE UNHCR, HMG AND M
MANY OTHERS, ARE STUCK IN HONG KONG BECAUSE OF INCREASINGLY
STRICT ADMISSIONS CRITERIA SET BY RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES. WE
HAVE NOTED RECENT REPORTS THAT WHILE A QUOTA OF 64,000 WAS SET
FOR THE USA THIS YEAR, IT IS UNLIKELY NOW TO BE FILLED. IF
THIS ALONE WERE DONE, HONG KONG'S REFUGEE PROBLEM COULD BE
SIGNIFICANTLY ALLEVIATED.
7. OTHER ADDRESSEES SHOULD, AT THEIR DISCRETION, APPROACH
GOVERNMENTS AT AN APPROPRIATE LEVEL AND SAY THAT WE HAVE ONLY
RECENTLY HEARD OF THE FORTHCOMING HONOLULU CONFERENCE. WHILE
QUITE UNDERSTANDING WHY WE HAVE NOT BEEN INVITED, WE HOPE THAT,
IN LOOKING AT LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS TO THE S E ASIA REFUGEE
PROBLEMS, OUR CONCERN FOR HONG KONG'S POSITION, AND THE
CONSIDERATIONS IN PARAS 4 AND 5 ABOVE, CAN BE TAKEN FULLY INTO
ACCOUNT.
HOWE
BOAT PEOPLE
LIMINUED
SEAD
HKD
UND
FED
PUSD
NEWS D MAED PS
PS/LADY YOUNG PS/MR LUCE PS/PUS
MR WRIGHT MR GIFFARD MR DONALD
MR ADAMS
MR URE
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BOAT PEOPLE
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CONFIDENTIAL